Tissue engineering of organ systems

Abstract

Organ failure from disease or injury is a major cause of morbidity and mortality for patients. Patients have traditionally been treated with organ transplantation, or artificial support systems that function outside the body (e.g., hemodialysis), but such options suffer from donor shortages, immunocompatibility and rejection issues, and decreased quality of life. This chapter provides an overview of tissue engineering of several important organ systems, including urogenital, liver, lung, gastrointestinal, and pancreatic tissues. Each section provides an insight into the research that has been conducted in the field until now. Although many challenges remain, rapid progress has successfully translated several engineered organs into the clinical setting, while for others, major headway has been made. It is becoming more and more apparent that the future of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is intimately intertwined and that their clinical translation relies on our increasing knowledge of biomaterials and their interaction with living cells.